Victoria Ravenot
Victoria Ashcroft was an ordained Knight and noble of the Kingdom of Stormwind. Having once served the Church of the Holy Light, she denounced its teachings alongside Clothair Ravenot, and was part of the Sovereign Order -- a Light-adherent institution which takes a more proactive stance against all things malicious. =History= Born the second child and only daughter of Cornelia and Edward Ashcroft II, Victoria was raised primarily under the influence of her House patriarchs, Paladins all. It was much to her mother's displeasure, as Cornelia had hoped to groom her daughter for aristocracy; to see her child become an influential woman in adulthood. That much has been achieved, at least, though not in the way her mother had imagined originally. Early Life The youngest child of the family, Tori (as she was affectionately known, and still is to close friends) was far too energetic to be kept indoors all day, and often would neglect her chores and lessons in favour of a good romp outdoors in the warm sunshine of Westfall. Scraped knees and torn dresses are her fondest memories of infancy; playing in the dirt and mud, and picking flowers from her mother's garden -- and being chased away shortly afterwards by an angry Cornelia. She was a whimsical child, often flitting between interests and hobbies -- until the day she happened across her brother, Walter beginning the first of his lessons in swordsmanship. Having been weened on tales of war, and with battle against the Defias a stark reality in Westfall, Tori took an immediate fascination to the prospect that she, too, could follow in the footsteps of her forefathers. But Ashcroft, being predominantly male in kin, offered few female role models for Tori to emulate. Yet she was determined, and began to attend her brother's sword lessons as a silent spectator, absorbing all that she could of his training, and then applying it in secret with a stick and pile of hay. It wasn't long before her uncle, Arrodin Leventis, caught her practicing in secret. Amused by her efforts, he sought to teach her proper swordsmanship, and it was so for several years. At the age of thirteen Tori was enlisted by her father into the Stormwind Army, the service both a tradition and expectation, because of her family's militant history. Arrodin remained a prominent influence in her life, alongside Richard Lancaster, and together they shaped the woman's core values. The Stormwind Army Serving as a page within the Stormwind Army, Victoria was given a thorough education in everything -- from simple camp logistics, to advanced knowledge of tactics and leadership. She was assigned a mentor, Richard Lancaster, who became a notable figure in her life. A man of venerable age, and a veteran of many wars in service to the royal family, Richard was a retired Knight of the realm, an anointed Paladin, and a sergeant within the army -- having stoutly refused any further promotions. He taught her about the Light and how to effectively use it -- as up until now, she had only studied its philosophy, and had wielded it once accidentally in an act of desperation to save her dying dog. With the Army, and Arrodin and Richard's teaching, Tori flourished into a confident young woman, with the skills necessary to excel in anything that she put her mind to. Knighthood Victoria remained with the army for eight years, until her twenty-first birthday -- at which point she resigned. Richard officially retired from his post also, and moved with Tori to Redridge, where her family relocated in order to assume control of Stonewatch Keep after Baldrec's abdication. There, the two continued to train in private until Richard's senility led to his death. She mourned his passing, but would not allow sorrow to impede her progress. With the encouragement of her father and Arrodin, Victoria sought admittance into the College of Canons, and it is there that she first met Clothair Ravenot -- an imposing man of few words and a stern nature. Their relationship was precarious to begin with, her youthful enthusiasm and inquisitive nature a source of annoyance for the man. Little did either of them know just how events would unfold. Intimidation quickly blossomed into a strange affection for the man, a thing which even now she cannot quite accurately explain; a curious and confusing phenomena, which she assumes to be the divine will of the Light. There is no other logical explanation for their love of each other, although it was a slow burning flame to begin with; with her shyness, and his initial unawareness. But as days grew into weeks, weeks eventually becoming months, Tori grew bolder in her affections, until the day Clothair returned them. By this time, the pair of them had already been bonded as Knight and Squire, and Tori was well on her way toward Knighthood. Because of the unseemly way in which she impressed herself upon people, Victoria was titled "the Efficacious", although she rarely refers to it, preferring instead to simply be addressed by 'Dame', or her name directly. Death One day she mysteriously vanished, along with many women who were coincidentally pregnant, and the Sovereign Order began to search for her whereabouts as the guardsmen on the estate door disallowed them entry. Clues eventually led to a young and beautiful herbalist, who they discovered was a succubus responsible for seducing men to convince them to kill their wives, lovers, or women in general. In the herbalist's hut there were body parts, fetuses, blood and gore -- nothing was recognisable, and Victoria was nowhere to be seen, even if the succubus responsible for it was defeated she was never to be seen again. Category:Characters Category:Sovereign Order Category:House Ravenot Category:House Ashcroft